The Golden Door Moroccan Harari Arancini

Ingredients

2 cupsLeftover Moroccan Harari "risotto"

1 eggs, beaten

1 cupred onion, chopped finely

1/2 tsppepper

1/2 cupminced cilantro

3/4 cupgluten free breadcrumbs

2-3 oz. mozzarella diced into 1/4” cubes

Olive Oil or Coconut Oil- enough to coat your frying pan with about 1/4” of oil; and to add oil, as needed to fry the rice balls. I prefer the coconut oil as it enhances the Moroccan flavors but olive oil is lovely as well!

Directions

Mix risotto, egg, salt, pepper, red onion and cilantro

Mix 1/2 cup of the breadcrumbs into the risotto mixture. Place the other 1/4 cup in a bowl to roll your lentil/rice balls. I like to make small-ish balls.

Using a tablespoon, scoop a heaping tablespoon and insert a mozzarella cube into middle, roll into ball between your hands to make a tidy ball and then roll into breadcrumbs.

Once done, heat oil over medium-high heat but monitor it as you go.
Add the rice balls, cook until golden brown on all sides, remove onto a paper towel to drain excess oil.

The Story

As part of my participation in the Eat Write Retreat, The Golden Door Spa sent us food bloggers some of their amazing packaged mixes. I decided to work with their Moroccan Harari Soup Mix. The base is red lentils. My first thought was to create a bean burger but because the mix is really a soup, I thought if I added rice, I could get it to the consistency of risotto. And I did! So my recommendation is eat it first as a risotto dish, but save 2 cups and make up the arancini for your next night's dinner. You will be happy you did!!

Recipe by Carole Murko

When I make any kind of ball - meatball, rice ball, etc., I wet my hands which prevents it from sticking to my hands. You can leave out the cheese. You can also use regular breadcrumbs or cornmeal - the choice is all yours! I ran out of breadcrumbs and rolled some of the balls in the cornmeal - while the flavor is the same, they were crisper and chewier. The bottom line with this recipe is you cannot go wrong!! Work with what you have on hand.

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